Telangana announces record paddy procurement, minister rejects opposition claims

Telangana's Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the state is procuring a record amount of paddy for the current Rabi season, targeting 90 lakh metric tonnes (MT) out of an estimated 141 lakh MT produced on about 65‑67 lakh acres. So far, 17.28 lakh MT have been bought, with Minimum Support Price payments of roughly ₹2,010‑₹2,310 crore released to farmers.

The government has set up 8,575 procurement centres, equipped with 2.63 lakh tarpaulins, 18.5‑18.75 crore gunny bags and storage capacity for 64.83 lakh MT, plus an additional 11.20 lakh MT. A dedicated control room and real‑time weather updates monitor operations, and a token system aims to reduce farmer waiting times. Around 6,200 vehicles are used to transport grain to mills.

Opposition parties have accused the Congress‑led administration of negligence and delayed procurement amid unseasonal rains. Reddy called these allegations "malicious propaganda" and emphasized that the procurement effort has expanded under the current government compared with the previous Kharif season, when ₹10,415 crore was spent, versus ₹12,512 crore this year.